Norms and Games as Integrating Components of Social Organizations

Abstract

Previous chapters in this book mainly discuss individual humans from the viewpoint of psychology or neuroscience. In this chapter, we discuss how mental states and attitudes of individuals are related to the society from a philosophical viewpoint. In this discussion, we are particularly concerned with the question of what kinds of roles norms play when individuals establish social connections. Then, we discuss how various kinds of human capacities are related to each other and how people build and maintain social organizations. In the end, we see that humans are beings that have cognitive capacities to form their own lives by behaving in accordance with the accepted norms and changing the norms for better lives.

[T2] If all members of G share the normative state ns2(G, t) at t, then the following sentences hold:

(A4a) For all time t and for all a∈G, (Bns2(G,t)p ⇒ Bns2(a,t)p).

(A4b) For all time t and for all a∈G, ((Ons2(G,t)p & consistent(ns2(a, t)) & notBns2(a, t)p) ⇒ Ons2(a, t)p).

(A4b) For all time t and for all a∈G, ((Fns2(G,t)p & consistent(ns2(a, t)) & notBns2(a, t)p) ⇒ Fns2(a, t)p).

(A4b) For all time t and for all a∈G, ((Pns2(G,t)p & consistent(ns2(a, t)) & notBns2(a, t)p) ⇒ Pns2(a, t)p).

T1 and T2 indicate the problem of consistency for a personal normative system . This problem is quite interesting in view of our real life experience. Suppose that you belong to groups G1 and G2 whose normative systems are mutually inconsistent, and that all members of G1 and all members of G2 share their normative systems ns(G1) and ns(G2). Then, your normative system becomes inconsistent, and, according to (A1d), (A1e), and (A1f), all of your normative requirements disappear. This is a case of social dilemma that many of us face in the real life.24